PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – OK, Portland, the jig is up. The city and several of its local businesses have been scheming ahead of this April Fools’ Day, but the pranks they’ve pulled are ones your trusted journalists at KOIN 6 News can see right through.
We are, after all, always “Watching Out for You.”
As a news outlet, we pride ourselves in truth-seeking, unveiling deception and making sure our loyal viewers and readers have the facts.
With this in mind, we’re here to reveal to you some pranks that were pulled on social media on April 1 before you have a chance to become the fool who falls for them.
Space Needle
First of all, although we’d love to steal a bit of Seattle’s Thunder, no – the city of Portland has not acquired the Space Needle in an “unprecedented cultural exchange deal.
A post made by the @Portland account on Instagram (note, this is an unverified account, but it has more than 300,000 followers), the city claimed it had reached an agreement with Seattle to relocate the iconic Space Needle to Portland.
“The groundbreaking agreement aims to expand cross-city educational initiatives and share resources and expertise in technology, arts and sustainability,” the city wrote in the post.
Portland claimed the Space Needle would officially open in the Rose City in the summer of 2024. The post included a digital rendering of the Space Needle installed near the Moda Center.
While this all sounds very legitimate, we’re afraid to say it is not true. The post directed readers to a link in the account’s bio. An article posted to Portland Gear’s website shared more details on the fictional, elaborate plan and then ended with “Also, happy April 1st :)”
So, sorry Portland, no Space Needle for you. Also, no gravy tea for you!
Gravy tea
What’s gravy tea, you might ask? Well, according to The Jasmine Pearl, a Portland-based company that imports and blends specialty loose-leaf teas, it’s their “most delicious blend to date.”
“This tea has a thick mouthfeel, hints of earthy garlic & sautéed onion, subtle notes of lump, and is of course, ideal on mashed potatoes,” the company wrote in an Instagram post.
Mmmm thanks, Jasmine Pearl, but we think we’ll stick with the traditional gravy and your other tea blends for now.
Gravy tea might not sound appealing, but do you know what does? A $250-million Portland Pickles stadium.
Pickles Stadium
That’s right. The Portland Pickles, the city’s collegiate wood-bat baseball team, raised the hopes of baseball fans across the city on April Fools’ Day by saying that Portland Parks and Recreation Department approved construction of a new, massive baseball stadium in Lents Park.
In its Instagram post, the team went so far as to say construction is set to begin following the 2023 Portland Pickles season and is expected to be completed by June 2025.
A link in the team’s Instagram bio took readers to a longer article explaining that the stadium will have a seating capacity of 88,000, restaurants, bars, and other amenities for fans to enjoy.
The team made no mention of April Fools’ Day, but if you know the Portland Pickles, you know they love a good prank.
Ski stilts
Another Portland-based company to get fans excited only for them to later realize the ruse is TREW Gear. The outdoor apparel company posted a picture on Instagram of what appear to be a pair of skis on stilts.
“After years of R&D, we are stoked to announce that TREW is entering the ski manufacturing game with the release of the world’s first-ever foil skis and accompanying lightweight 3L outerwear collection,” TREW Gear wrote in its post.
The skis look as though they would allow the rider to float over the powder rather than sink into it.
The post directs readers to click a link in the company’s Instagram bio that takes them to a page that says “April Fools!”
Surely, there were more Portland pranks pulled on social media this April Fools’ Day, but these were the ones we spotted as we scrolled. We wish you all the best of luck as you work to decipher fact from fiction on a day filled with so much tomfoolery.